Dr Lynne Corner talks about Dementia research

Dementia is always an emotive subject.  There can be very few of us who have not known friends or family who’ve had to watch loved ones succumb to its effects.  It is a condition that is slowly gaining recognition in the media and UK Rotary has been at the forefront in helping to open this discussion.

 We were fortunate in having Dr Lynne Corner speak to the Club at our June evening meeting, in the placial marquee at Ramside Hall.  She is Director of Engagement at the Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age, Newcastle University’s centre for societal challenge of ageing, which is looking into all aspects of health and well-being affecting older people.

 Dr Corner said, “As a result of the fact we are all living longer we need a radical reassessment of the place of older people in society, which is long overdue… So 'Changing Age' is a campaign which argues for this profound change in attitudes to ageing. And critically for us, that it is informed by facts and not misconceptions.”

 She encouraged our older Rotarians to help the work of her Initiative by taking part in the on-line research at: www.voicenorth.org/ where there are details of how to register and assist with their vital work.

 Dr Corner says that their work focuses on the premise that “our passion [is] that older members of the public are fundamentally important partners in our research.”  This positivity extends to the proposed new research buildings near the RVI, which will bring together a number of professionals in the field of dementia, and other ageing research specialists.  

Dr Corner has promised the Club that we will be invited to visit the new research buildings in order to see at first hand what work is being undertaken.

 President Pauline thanked Dr Corner for her positive and thought-provoking talk and said we were all looking forward to hearing more about this important research field, in the future.